Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire picks up an E46 M3

[TexaZ3]

I’ve driven one. I’m not impressed. N52 is better engine. E61 is a better car.

Didn't drive it right if that's your resume.

[jvit27]

It's funny this thread started with people shitting on an influencer for getting an E46 in a popular color, only to then argue the hype of why undesired colors are better. Irony.

I mean the cars aren't new anymore. Follow the trends for modern BMW launch colors and they aren't silver. Even this gen M3 launched in LSB so I fail to see the undesirability. Yes they sat more initially because no doctor or lawyer wanted to roll up in a bright blue or baby puke one to their office, but bright colors have always been popular on M cars.

I never heard of a dealer having a hard time selling a new E46 M3 ever.

I saw the very first one at the USGP at Indianaoplis and it was NOT well received.. LSB polarized most of the enthusiasts because it essentially became the replacement for Estoril.

You can dance around the word RaRiTy but they were low production because fact is people didn't buy them when they could choose whatever they wanted. Imola Red used to be the same kiss of death as a grey interior. Dakar was the launch color for E36, yet those didn't sell well either.

I'd bet SG and AW E46's consistently bring as much or more money than comparable LSB or PY (BaT outliers excluded) because there is a wider audience willing to pay a premium. The brighter ones just get more attention online, but not everyone with money posts their shit on social media...

[Maxima SE]

The brighter ones just get more attention online, but not everyone with money posts their shit on social media...

They also get attention on the streets too, way more attention than generic colors that blend in the traffic. But in end the end who cares? White is more common than Yellow but there are also more buyers looking for white than yellow, it all balances out at the end of the day. This topic is discussed here on daily bases. It doesn't even really matter. Find the one that suits you, pay up and drive what makes you happy. We all have different personalities and preferences.

[Slicktop]

It's funny this thread started with people shitting on an influencer for getting an E46 in a popular color, only to then argue the hype of why undesired colors are better. Irony.



I saw the very first one at the USGP at Indianaoplis and it was NOT well received.. LSB polarized most of the enthusiasts because it essentially became the replacement for Estoril.

You can dance around the word RaRiTy but they were low production because fact is people didn't buy them when they could choose whatever they wanted. Imola Red used to be the same kiss of death as a grey interior. Dakar was the launch color for E36, yet those didn't sell well either.

I'd bet SG and AW E46's consistently bring as much or more money than comparable LSB or PY (BaT outliers excluded) because there is a wider audience willing to pay a premium. The brighter ones just get more attention online, but not everyone with money posts their shit on social media...

Not how the market has reacted. The first record sale car was an LSB car and looking at trending sales, you will see when LSB cars come on the market they pull way more money than others. Most people call this bump "LSB Tax" because of the inherent increase in price to own one.

I very much know it was not received well as most people with money who wanted them new did not want LSB or PY, but those who did were rewarded in the long run by their values holding and increasing now. If there is a 2004 Slicktop LSB 6 speed car/Black interior with low miles, I'd be willing to put money down that it's the first non comp to break 6 digits.

[02_lsb]

I got my car in 2015, no one wanted an e46 back then, better yet — No one wanted an LSB e46.

[Obioban]

Not how the market has reacted. The first record sale car was an LSB car and looking at trending sales, you will see when LSB cars come on the market they pull way more money than others. Most people call this bump "LSB Tax" because of the inherent increase in price to own one.

I very much know it was not received well as most people with money who wanted them new did not want LSB or PY, but those who did were rewarded in the long run by their values holding and increasing now. If there is a 2004 Slicktop LSB 6 speed car/Black interior with low miles, I'd be willing to put money down that it's the first non comp to break 6 digits.

I’ve always been pro color, but in the interest of fairness… the record holder is now silver grey.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2005-bmw-m3-coupe-78/

[sev]

Matt is actually cool and down to earth in person despite his polarizing online persona, I've worked with him a few times over the years. I'm pretty sure he will leave this car alone. Silver on red is really underrated combo IMO.

yeah ive met him at person and can vouch he's super easy to talk to.

[jvit27]

Not how the market has reacted. The first record sale car was an LSB car and looking at trending sales, you will see when LSB cars come on the market they pull way more money than others. Most people call this bump "LSB Tax" because of the inherent increase in price to own one.

I very much know it was not received well as most people with money who wanted them new did not want LSB or PY, but those who did were rewarded in the long run by their values holding and increasing now. If there is a 2004 Slicktop LSB 6 speed car/Black interior with low miles, I'd be willing to put money down that it's the first non comp to break 6 digits.

Anecdotal response. 'The first record sale'? Sorry but they had been climbing steadily above MSRP prior (& will continue to do so). And as Obioban posted, that title is now held by a Silver Grey car. There is a market outside of auctions that you're not privy to. EAG was selling cars in the $8x,xxx well before that so your reference is nothing more than confirmation bias. Why do you think they don't post prices? Why do you think I specifically said BaT outliers excluded? There are a dozen factors that contribute to the LSB tax but at the end of the day it's nothing more than a synonym for supply & demand.

To acknowledge that LSB car, I know it very well because the seller is close friend. What you've overlooked is that car was truly museum quality and could have broken the record regardless of color. Yes LSB helped in that case but so did timing and -believe it or not- so did the mods. The crop of truly collectible E46 M3's is small and the pool of buyers looking for specific colors with the necessary budget is relatively proportionate to who bought them new. Unfortunately a disproportionate number of LSB cars have faired worse than others because the color appealed to a majority in a younger demographic. Translation: they ended up in the hands of kids who trashed them. So nice ones become outliers. Show me a 100k mi LSB and a 100k mi AW and I bet you the interior color dictates which one brings more money...

Farah's car is a fair comp given mileage and lack of ZCP option and I would bet the price tag was much closer than you'd guess.

[EthanolTurbo]

Didn't drive it right if that's your resume.

For real lol. S85 shits on the boring N52. Might as well say an M54 is better than an S54. Comparing an N52 to an 8300 RPM V10 😂

[Slicktop]

Anecdotal response. 'The first record sale'? Sorry but they had been climbing steadily above MSRP prior (& will continue to do so). And as Obioban posted, that title is now held by a Silver Grey car. There is a market outside of auctions that you're not privy to. EAG was selling cars in the $8x,xxx well before that so your reference is nothing more than confirmation bias. Why do you think they don't post prices? Why do you think I specifically said BaT outliers excluded? There are a dozen factors that contribute to the LSB tax but at the end of the day it's nothing more than a synonym for supply & demand.

To acknowledge that LSB car, I know it very well because the seller is close friend. What you've overlooked is that car was truly museum quality and could have broken the record regardless of color. Yes LSB helped in that case but so did timing and -believe it or not- so did the mods. The crop of truly collectible E46 M3's is small and the pool of buyers looking for specific colors with the necessary budget is relatively proportionate to who bought them new. Unfortunately a disproportionate number of LSB cars have faired worse than others because the color appealed to a majority in a younger demographic. Translation: they ended up in the hands of kids who trashed them. So nice ones become outliers. Show me a 100k mi LSB and a 100k mi AW and I bet you the interior color dictates which one brings more money...

Farah's car is a fair comp given mileage and lack of ZCP option and I would bet the price tag was much closer than you'd guess.

Confirmation bias is certainly heavy with you opinion here. When looking at the current market that is public, many people can confirm the asking prices of cars are reflected in this "LSB tax." Also, cars off market are especially hot in colors that are not TiaG or Silver Grey due to the fact of how the public market has reacted.

You also fail to see that a 90k sale in today's market would crack way over six figures as between covid and just an overall appreciation of the M3 would result in a higher market price. The BAT LSB sale took place before this.

I have helped many buyers of cars in THIS market become M3 owners and prices for colors outside the normal spectrum have commanded a premium. Ask anyone on this forum to give a fair market value of their car. If their car is blue or a "rare" color, you bet their asking will be 3-7k whatever the asking is of a comparable TiaG car is.

[Phoenix///M3]

Not in love with the guy but don't mind his reviews and only ever remember him giving props to the E46 M3.

He owns a daily Keen safari 911 build that I would love to have albeit with different interior. Something very appealing about the thought of thrashing a 911 around without regard for potholes, speed bumps, gravel roads and such.

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[shibui]

Matt had Chris Harris on his podcast today and Chris waxed poetically about the E46 M3. I remember he (correctly) predicted the value increase on a Drive podcast with Spinelli maybe a decade ago.

E46 M3 convo starts around 25:00

[maw1124]

I remember he (correctly) predicted the value increase on a Drive podcast with Spinelli maybe a decade ago...

I mean, I predicted it too before I bought mine in 2010. That one was kind of easy to see coming. And given the fairly limited color options on deck (skip over the Black and Dove interiors, everyone), it wasn't hard to predict which colors would command premiums either.

What I didn't see coming was: (1) all the drop top hate (which I think is just forumland and temporary), which goes against virtually everything (design aesthetic and historical precedent); and (2) the huge 6MT premium, which I think is also just forumland but maybe not as temporary.

But that the last high revving straight six engine from the Motorsport division of the company that made its name on high revving straight six engines, after they tweaked it for as long as they could extracting from it the maximum reasonably reliable output they could, would go on to be a historical car that people would be rewarded for treating as such? Well, Ray Charles could see that one coming, internet or not.

maw

EDIT... once I saw 200k mile cars out there, my decision was made and I just needed to decide on color.

EDIT 2... I always appreciate Chris Harris... I don't spend a lot of time listening to guys talk, but he's like a "not for kids, not for show" car guy, which I can appreciate.

[Tbonem3]

Saw Matt's car in person this weekend. It was mint. Imola in Tiag is beautful.

[Obioban]

Saw Matt's car in person this weekend. It was mint. Imola in Tiag is beautful.

That was the combo on my first e46 M3. I didn’t hate it.